Hometeam hockey: St. Peter-Marian beefs up schedule, goal

Wednesday

Jan 23, 2013 at 6:00 AM

John McGuirk Hockey

Since coach Brian Allain arrived at St. Peter-Marian High five years ago, the wins have increased right along with the enthusiasm in the program.

The Guardians won a combined six games during Allain’s first three seasons, but won 12 last year and earned their first postseason berth in more than 10 years. Allain is quick to credit to his senior captains — defenseman Nate Spinney and forwards Zach O’Connor and Dezi Garcia, who have been with him since the beginning.

“Those three guys in particular, and our other seniors, are the program,” Allain said. “They have played against a number of Super 8 teams since their freshman seasons and have helped to make this program grow. The reason why this program has turned around is because of their level of play on the ice.”

With a major schedule upgrade, St. Peter-Marian (4-7-1) again is focused on reaching the playoffs. The Guardians have 10 seniors on their roster and will look to snap a three-game losing streak at 6 p.m. Saturday against Matignon at Stoneham Arena.

“All of these seniors have remained here for the high school experience, and that is very important and a big value to them,” Allain said. “That’s why we beefed up our schedule in an effort to keep kids here instead of them going off and playing for some junior league team.

“We probably have one of the top 10 schedules in the state right now. The purpose of that is to attract new players to come here.”

The three captains said they all had opportunities to join junior teams, but decided to stay put.

“It’s all about loyalty to our school,” Spinney said. “We believe in our coaching staff, and that is why we stayed here for the four years instead of leaving to go elsewhere. In my four years here, we’ve grown a lot.”

Garcia said sticking together as a team during those lean seasons made the successful ones more enjoyable.

“By taking our lumps as freshmen and sophomores, we came together as friends and teammates,” Garcia said. “We are a family here. This is a very tight-knit team.”

The captains said wearing a St. Peter-Marian sweater allows them to play Division 1 hockey and also get a great education.

“You learn to grow as a student here as well as an athlete,” O’Connor said. “As a team, we place so much emphasis on academics. We are always helping each other, whether it be in the classroom or on the ice.”

Allain said nearly 90 percent of the players are on the honor roll. St. Peter-Marian’s graduation rate last year was 99 percent, with 89 percent of those students going to four-year colleges.

“Two years ago, we received the MIAA award for academic excellence, which is something to be proud of,” Allain said. “Our mission here has always been academics first and hockey second.”

SPM is also the first Worcester school to adopt the “stem program” which focuses on project-based courses including biotechnology, engineering design and biomedical innovation.

“As students we get pushed every day in the classroom,” Garcia said. “If you slack off you are going to be in trouble. I know the entire hockey team stays on top of our grades. It makes you a more well-rounded person and you are held highly accountable for your actions. There is no way I would’ve ever considered leaving my boys here. This is the only place I want to be at.”

With the season at the halfway point, the Guardians realize they need to have a stronger second half if they want to reach the playoffs.

“What we need to improve on is our execution,” Garcia said. “We have the chemistry, the heart, and we work hard day in and day out. Once we do start executing, I think we’ll be a very dangerous team.”

Dan Baldino wasted no time in making his presence felt at Lunenburg High, sharing the team scoring lead with 19 points last year as a freshman. Baldino already has seven goals and 11 assists in just 12 games this season and is second to Tom Wagner’s 19 points for the team lead.

“Dan is the epitome of how we want all of our players to be on and off the ice,” coach Eric Short said. “He has a great reputation in his school, the community, and with his coaches and teammates. He’s like a sponge that always wants to keep learning. It took a little while for him to adjust to things last year, but as soon as he figured things out, he just started to light it up.”

Short was so impressed with Baldino during last year’s tryouts, he immediately inserted the Ayer-Shirley student into the lineup.

“Once I started getting used to my teammates last year, things kept building,” said Baldino, who made the Coughlin Conference All-Star team last year. “For me personally, I still feel I need to get faster and work more on getting the puck out of the zone and getting off more shots.”

Lunenburg (7-4-1, 4-3 Coughlin) is close to clinching a Division 3A playoff berth.

“Last year, we knew we were going to be young, so we were just looking to grow and develop,” Short said. “This year, it’s not only nice to be competitive, but in the back of your mind, we could actually win the whole thing. Unlike last year and the way (defending Division 3A champ) Groton-Dunstable played, I feel this year there is no team in 3A that is head-and-shoulders above anyone else.”

“I know we are a better team than last year,” Baldino said. “We’ve grown a lot and our chemistry has gotten so much stronger, and that’s why I feel we are a better team this year. Everyone seems to mesh well together, which is important if you want to be successful.”

Contact John McGuirk at sports@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @tgsports.

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